NHTSA Complaint #710401 — 1992 PLYMOUTH LASER

I RECEIVED A MANUFACTURES RECALL NOTICE ABOUT A YEAR AGO ON THE TRANSFER CASE OF MY VEHICLE. THE NOTICE STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH MY TRANSFER CASE WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE WHEELS TO LOCK UP. UPON ACCEPTANCE OF THIS FORM I TOOK MY CAR TO THE NEAREST DEALER. THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND TOLD ME THAT EVERYTHING SEEMED O.K. WITH IT. NOW A YEAR AND 22,000 MILES LATER, ON 8/22/99 I WAS HEADED NORTH BOUND ON THE PA TURNPIKE AT APPROXIMATELY 2145 HOURS. THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY WHEELS LOCKED UP AND SENT ME INTO A SPIN. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP THE CAR WAS RUNNING, BUT INMOBILE. SOMEHOW I MANAGED NOT TO HIT ANYONE OR ANYTHING. HOWEVER I WAS STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TURNPIKE. AFTER ROCKING THE CAR BACK AND FORTH SEVERAL TIMES I WAS ABLE TO FREE UP THE WHEELS ENOUGH TO GET THE CAR OFF OF THE HIGHWAY. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY TOLLED ME THAT IT WAS MY TRANSFER CASE WHICH HAD FORZEN MY WHEELS MAKING THE CAR IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. SEVERAL CALLS WERE MADE TO THE CHRYSLER CORP. CONCERNING THIS MATTER AND THE RECALL, BUT CHRYSLER NEVER RETURNED THEIR CALLS, AND NOW I'M STUCK WITH A 1200 REPAIR BILL, A TOWING BILL, AND A DAY OFF OF WORK. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE, THIS HAPPENED AT THE RIGHT TIME IN THE RIGHT PLACE, I GUESS. I COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY INJURIED MYSELF, OR SOMEONE ELSE AND TOTALED MY CAR. SOMETHING THIS SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE CHRYSLER CORP.